Lox, "Twin Peaks" was the pilot, so it was shot before the series. It does have an ending that conflicts with the series (at least the European version does). Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me was set before the pilot but was shot afterwards. It has gotten less impressive reviews. Is this what you mean?
Travis
- Mon Jan 31 21:27:40 2005

I have to admit not having been that bothered about Meet the Parents - I mean, it wasn't bad, it just doesn't stannd out in my memory that well. Having said that, I appear to have developed something of a habit of watching King of Queens (a low budget American sitcom) to the extent in a court of law I would have to honestly declare I actually like it, quite a lot, so my opinions on anything are not to be trusted.
John
- Mon Jan 31 16:51:43 2005

dsp: I wanna see that too.. It's not out in Italy until February 20th though... It MUST be brilliant, shame that is translated in italian and you loose 80% of the nice jokes....
Travis: You mean the Laura Palmer's Twin Peaks? the actual movie that they made after the series on TV? I liked the series, but the movie was rather bad...
Lox
- Mon Jan 31 16:18:57 2005

Lox, agreed about some of the cinematography. I also saw the "Twin Peaks" pilot, a low budget horror film, and parts of The Barbarian Invasions this weekend. I accidentally left some of my work at my office and didn't have the desire/energy to get it so I was a bit of a slacker this weekend.
Travis
- Mon Jan 31 15:28:18 2005

I saw Meet The Fockers on Friday, it was brilliant!!
dsp
- Mon Jan 31 15:14:01 2005

I have a sudden overwhelming urge to play bar billiards.
John
- Mon Jan 31 14:58:36 2005

On all accounts the movie was a bit "dispersive", it didn't seem to follow a main trail, apart from the battle for Babylon there is no consistency in the conquest. The actors did a good job, and yes I agree with you, but on the other side there is no real history to alexander the great, I mean there are bits and pieces but there isn't a good literature like there is for Cesar, for example. So it must have been hard to put it all together. I liked the photography (impressive) and the battle scenes were pretty good (the babylonians chariots of war were perfect). I'd give it a 6,5 out of 10...
Lox
- Mon Jan 31 13:55:02 2005

Lox, didn't you think that everyone just stood around a lot in Alexander? I love Val Kilmer but he didn't do much. I love Jared Leto (see Requiem for a Dream) but he only had one good scene. And Colin Farrell (see A Home at the End of the World) was...bad I thought. I blame Oliver Stone.
Travis
- Mon Jan 31 13:26:37 2005

No worries, I thought about it but... I have around 28457378 unwanted messages in this mailbox, it's the address that I have since 1995 and I am not going to change it!! Fortunately Thunderbird is good at filtering... :)
Lox
- Mon Jan 31 11:33:42 2005

Ooops lox, you've just given your email to the spammers unless john can fix fix it ?
Kev
- Mon Jan 31 09:46:15 2005

Ciao Chris, stalflare@tin.it, that's the one.
My weekend featured ALEXANDER, a movie that was slandered by critics but wasn't that bad all in all...
Lox
- Mon Jan 31 08:39:21 2005

Hi guys, me again. It's funny how you all message while At work and i can only do it at home! Busy term so far. But then again 2 more weeks and i get a week off. I'll be sure to meantion that at the time. And then only 4 weeks until easter. Not so bad... Any of you guys see Team America yet? proper funny film. At so un-pc its untrue. [Lox - Can you send me your email, wanted to ask something, 8)]
Chris <cachallacombe@dsl.pipex.com>
- Sun Jan 30 19:41:56 2005

I didn't have a chance to post until now...and you are all most likely in a pub somewhere. I'm very okay with saying that I didn't vote...and that was a fine decision on my part. There are people who will find this repulsive, another American who doesn't know how good he's got it, fiddling away his duties, etc. I say, "Ho-hum." We can discuss political theory if you'd like...but everyone knows that the US president doesn't matter much.
Travis
- Fri Jan 28 21:30:17 2005

Hope you all have good weekends...!
John
- Fri Jan 28 17:30:05 2005

TFI Friday! Bye!!!!!!!
dsp
- Fri Jan 28 17:17:10 2005

Miss Piggy is superb. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
Jimmy
- Fri Jan 28 15:37:53 2005

Not that she is short John!!!
dsp
- Fri Jan 28 15:20:44 2005

The UK was the first country in the world to launch DTV, and therefore it is more advanced here than anywhere else in the universe, even Japan, however fat we are.
John
- Fri Jan 28 15:01:24 2005

I don't think I'm fat either! Now I don't complain at her for being short do I? It's prejudice, that's what it is!
John
- Fri Jan 28 14:59:59 2005

John: Chie is Japanese, everyone from Europe looks fat to her eyes!! For all it matters I don't think you are fat...
Lox
- Fri Jan 28 14:53:11 2005

Going back to DVB, how advanced is the system now in the uk? Here in Italy the major private channels started a new service with DTV, where you can buy for 1 quid a football match (a sort of pay x view) of one of the teams linked to the channel. You can imagine SKY is now crying its eyes out as they ask for a 20 pounds cheque x month (max 4 matches, of course)... Have I mentioned that the quality of satellite Tv is usually abysmal (at least in Italy)? I can't wait to see the new DTV when you will be able to watch THAT movie at THAT time, and not all the crap that they usually try to dish you...
Lox
- Fri Jan 28 14:51:33 2005

Chie seems to think I am!
John
- Fri Jan 28 14:49:44 2005

You are not exactely FAT are you? :)
Lox
- Fri Jan 28 14:46:54 2005

I'd also like to contest the "Broomstick" (the "Drooling" and "Veggie" I accept, however).
John
- Fri Jan 28 14:38:05 2005

It stands for Digital Video Broadcast - so I've just done a bit of a "PIN number" thing there haven't I?
John
- Fri Jan 28 14:37:10 2005

DVB broadcast? is it edible? New acronym for you johnny (Drooling Veggie Broomstick)?
Lox
- Fri Jan 28 14:31:16 2005

For a while I was using the theme tune to the muppet show as a test transmission when generating DVB broadcasts.... it seemed kind of appropriate somehow...
John
- Fri Jan 28 14:11:43 2005

Kermit, Fozzie and that little thingy that sang "Manha, manha!!".. I didn't like Miss Piggy that much, but she would make an hell of a candidate for the white house!! (I mean look at who is there now!) :P
Lox
- Fri Jan 28 13:55:57 2005

I never liked Miss Piggy. I always liked Fozzie Bear, or whatever he was called...
John
- Fri Jan 28 13:44:14 2005

Miss Piggy all the way!!
Lox
- Fri Jan 28 13:43:10 2005

Do you think he'd have done better if he went for the kermit look...?
John
- Fri Jan 28 13:39:59 2005

Jimmy: Well actually you are quite right... DOH!
Lox
- Fri Jan 28 13:29:57 2005

Kerry looks like Beaker from the Muppets. That's why he didn't win.
Jimmy
- Fri Jan 28 12:53:58 2005

... so the piece of string says "No, I'm a frayed knot."
Jimmy
- Fri Jan 28 12:52:23 2005

I think its about helping your mates and the old boy network. Keeping it all for the haves instead of the have-nots.
dsp
- Fri Jan 28 12:49:01 2005

the "I have considerably ma-ore muny than yao." factor applies ?
Kev
- Fri Jan 28 12:37:49 2005

What I don't fully understand about the "they're in it for the money" theory, is that surely after a point, when you're already ludicrously rich, getting even more ludicrously rich simply doesn't make any real difference. Let's say you've got a billion dollars in personal wealth. Are you really going to notice an improvement in your quality of life by expanding that to two? I just don't see that the pursuit of money, in itself, for those that are already stinking rich, is really enough to persuade them to take countries to war etc etc.
John
- Fri Jan 28 12:26:03 2005

...because it doesn't need cleaning up yet.
John
- Fri Jan 28 12:20:16 2005

BUGGER BUGGER BUGGER! I mean "Hydrogen atom", not "Electron". Sorry, people!
Jimmy
- Fri Jan 28 11:55:38 2005

... so the second electron says "Yes, I'm positive!"
Jimmy
- Fri Jan 28 11:55:05 2005

Sorry, my mistake, it was me.
John
- Fri Jan 28 11:49:46 2005

I think somebody is spelling their name wrong there (i.e. that wasn't me!).
John
- Fri Jan 28 11:43:36 2005

Sorry, this message was too politically correct.
John
- Fri Jan 28 11:38:41 2005

...so the rabbit asks the butcher "Oh right, have you got any carrots then?".
John
- Fri Jan 28 11:37:23 2005

... but the butcher says "No, the steaks are too high."
Jimmy
- Fri Jan 28 11:29:18 2005

Debate re-started!!! I find rather scary that a Americans voted him again, and frankly speaking (though Kerry might not have been "Mr.Marvellous") I thought that the incumbent would have been "better" than Bush.
The movie gives a very bad image of G.W. but it's true that everything he's done went pear-shaped. I'll skip all comments regarding the stocks held by the family in the various companies.
And still American kids are dying in Iraq, the situation is good only for the oil traders (there are very high entrance barrieers to trade in oil, so a normal investor could not make money from this situatio), and the terrorist threat has not been removed.
Did I mention that America is on the verge of a financial crisis that has no echo in recent history (their account deficit is enourmous, the biggest ever recorded in the last 120 year)?
Niiiiiiceeeee isn't it? The shame is that when I go to NY, the only thing that you hear on tv or newspapers is the weather and sports, sometimes it's irritating to read these kind of news over the internet from an English or Italian site, that in the US are relegated on page 12...
Lox
- Fri Jan 28 11:10:52 2005

Occasionally, perhaps spurred on by the general boredom of being at work, I have an odd craving to buy an unnecessary piece of gadgetry. Today I've decided I'd quite like a combined portable DAB receiver and MP3 player. So far all I've found is the Perstel DR201 which I think would be a goer if I could work out whether or not the memory was removable (as 64MB is pretty limiting).
John
- Fri Jan 28 11:06:27 2005

The man is an utter imbecile. You remember when Dan Quayle was vice president, and people said "Wouldn't it be scary if he had to take over" ... well it's like that. Only worse. Twice.
Jimmy
- Fri Jan 28 09:32:19 2005

Hey Travis, at the risk of restoking an old debate... Farenheit 9/11 was on the TV here in the UK last night, and I saw it for the first time. I recall you saying that some of the conclusions drawn were a little dubious, so I took a certain amount of it with a pinch of salt... However there were definitely some bits that were already common knowledge - like Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney etc have large shares in companies (mainly oil and defense related) that stand to gain from foreign conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Possibly this is nothing new in American (or any other country's) government, but still, I find it kind of distressing nonetheless.
John
- Fri Jan 28 09:23:00 2005

Sorry, this message was too intuitive.
Kev
- Fri Jan 28 09:17:34 2005

Sorry, this message was too subversive.
Jimmy
- Fri Jan 28 08:32:21 2005

John, on the message board several months back, punchlines were listed and then others tried to supply the jokes, I believe. Alas, I've been too busy to check out the board.
Travis
- Fri Jan 28 01:29:29 2005

Sorry, this message was too big.
andre
- Thu Jan 27 19:53:49 2005

I have been in a "design" meeting most of the afternoon, and thus haven't been checking/posting to the board...
John
- Thu Jan 27 17:09:00 2005

cAre in tHe cOMmuNiTy
Jimmy
- Thu Jan 27 16:44:04 2005

Quiet day today... all busy producing goods and services for the commnunity?
Lox
- Thu Jan 27 16:08:11 2005

Do I remember having a conversation with somebody about a game where you substitute the punchlines from one joke onto the body of another.... or maybe just say the punchlines and have to guess the joke...? Maybe it is just called "punchlines" - I bet Jimmy was involved somehow.
John
- Thu Jan 27 13:41:26 2005

Awful!
Jimmy
- Thu Jan 27 13:10:34 2005

how many legs did it have ?
Kev
- Thu Jan 27 12:52:10 2005

I made a haggis ... from an old cereal packet and some sticky tape.
Jimmy
- Thu Jan 27 12:38:30 2005

Does it means that instead of sheep interior you have what the sheep had for lunch (that was not quite so much digested) before getting killed?
Lox
- Thu Jan 27 12:28:06 2005

Yes I did (and yes that was spelled correctly).
John
- Thu Jan 27 11:14:05 2005

I assume that you had VEGGIE HAGGIS (am I spelling it wrongly?)...
Lox
- Thu Jan 27 11:07:02 2005

So the Burns night was a lot of fun - have to thank Rob for bringing such an impressive entourage... Will try to get the pictures on the web some time today - I wanted to do them yesterday, but was out visiting a customer and pretty much collapsed in a heap when I got back home.
John
- Thu Jan 27 10:25:53 2005

Don't have anything to do with head hunters. They put your head on a stick and shrink it and stuff.
tom
- Wed Jan 26 20:43:57 2005

I don't know what to believe in anymore. I have asked the second guy another name, if the eventual third name wants to quit, then can start thinking about buing a house in this place... :(
Lox
- Wed Jan 26 14:54:07 2005

sounds like a conspiracy to me
Kev
- Wed Jan 26 14:24:33 2005

I have a friend who introduced me to an Head Hunter. As I am trying to change job I was rather happy about this thing, shame that the guy is closing his office this Friday and won't attend my case... "O well!" I thought let's ask the guy for another contact!! The guy is nice enough to give me a phone number of a friend who does more or less the same things. So I call this other head hunter and guess what? HE'S CLOSING THE BUSINESS as well!!!!
Now the question is: How much blessed water will I need to get out of this place? I mean how many are the chances that you get to know an head hunter (usually the get to know YOU not the contrary) that is actually retiring... And how many chances that his head hunter friend is also retiring?!? Oh well....
Lox
- Wed Jan 26 14:01:42 2005

Hope last night went well and your hangovers are wee.
tom
- Wed Jan 26 07:40:00 2005

Online Cheap Discount Cigarettes Shop with Delivery http://www.cigaretteson.com This is a easy to understand , fast working site, just click to buy.
Ciggy <visit@our.site>
Europe, - Tue Jan 25 19:39:08 2005

Bone fide scotsman is bringing some stuff, as am I. I think the other random guests are likely to chip in too!
Rob Lang
- Tue Jan 25 18:38:06 2005

Well John, we'll have to get together for a few pints before then! BTW- if you move to Japan, you might end up in trouble. I mean- aren't you going to be a little ...er... distracted? Chie won't be pleased- you'll have to practice pointing your head forwards and only swivelling your eyes (snigger) ...
Jimmy
- Tue Jan 25 17:31:15 2005

Rob: I'm now having a minor wittling fit that there won't be enough food / drink / seats / toilet paper / etc.
John
- Tue Jan 25 17:02:21 2005

Jimmy: Yep at some point this year we are hoping to move to Japan - sort of permanently - I'm hoping to find a job there, and see how it goes. We might decide after six months or a year that we were both happier in England, who knows?
John
- Tue Jan 25 17:01:19 2005

Difficult for me to randomly bring a load of piss heads to your burns night party if you're on the other side of the planet, though.
Rob Lang
- Tue Jan 25 16:49:22 2005

Are you planning to move there permanently (Japan, that is, not the internet) ?
Jimmy
- Tue Jan 25 16:23:59 2005

Today's nugget was communicated via the internet, so my actual physical location is immaterial - I could well be in Japan now. In fact maybe I am.... (I'm not) ....but I could be (I'm not) ...although it's not impossible (I'm not).
John
- Tue Jan 25 16:22:43 2005

Perhaps, but as we only have two data points, it's impossible to say whether they're part of a linear series, or something more complicated. As you're leaving for Japan before the next predicted point, it appears we may never know ...
Jimmy
- Tue Jan 25 15:55:41 2005

Thankyou Jimmy! So, if we project that forward, you can expect the next insightful comment from me in about two and a half years time!
John
- Tue Jan 25 15:38:27 2005

John- I just read your message about documentation being a punishment for leaving. That's brilliant- it is *so* true! This gem of insight ranks up there with "Jimmy is a verbal wildcard". Oh yes.
Jimmy
- Tue Jan 25 15:24:18 2005

I have to agree with Kev. As much as I hate this "pat on the shoulders" system, we have the same. I hate when the system is too much skewed towards JUST social interaction, I still think that a company needs some rules and someone to enforce them...
Lox
- Tue Jan 25 15:23:04 2005

.. as long as you don't want to actually make a profit :)
Kev
- Tue Jan 25 15:12:30 2005

I think at this company we deal with arguments like that on a case by case basis - there is generally no formal procedure with signed specifications and so on. Sometimes we bend over backwards to help a customer when perhaps it isn't really our fault, sometimes we put out foot down and demand payment for changes. It's a lot more down to social interactions than rigorous workflow regimes - depending largely on what our relationship is like with a particular customer and so on... Amazingly this extremely ad-hoc system does appear to more or less work.
John
- Tue Jan 25 14:55:39 2005

If I had my own loan company, our slogan would be:
"Debt - better than nothing".
John
- Tue Jan 25 14:47:49 2005

What about technical specification of what the applications are supposed to do and how it should be tested/proven?? How are arguments settled such as "this is a not a bug, it is behaving as designed"
dsp
- Tue Jan 25 14:46:37 2005

I've really gone off Doxygen (and such). People think they can publish that instead of documentation. Admittedly it *is* better than nothing, but that's about all I can say for it :(
Jimmy
- Tue Jan 25 14:43:58 2005

john, perhaps you should leave a secret code behind in your documents that lead to a 'treasure' in the building. Something like an old hob knob wrapped in a ye olde note ?
Kev
- Tue Jan 25 14:26:33 2005

try googling for NDoc - dotNet javadoc - java obviously Doxygen C++ All of our java SDK manuals are created from inline documention in the source code comments, works quite well. There are a few others too no doubt.
Kev
- Tue Jan 25 14:22:16 2005

I don't see this "last dying act" of writing documentation as an actual useful process (as Jimmy points out other developers will never read it). Instead it is intended as a punishment for the person leaving, and to set an example to dissuade other would be quitters from handing in their notice.
John
- Tue Jan 25 14:19:55 2005

This is a bit of a burning issue for me at present given that I'm leaving soon. We have one major system that makes a part of lots of our installations at present, and I am the only person that has ever really worked on it. So amongst all the other tedious tasks I've been assigned I'm supposed to be documenting this thorougly, so somebody else can take over development. This is a situation I'm sure will be familiar to Jimmy at least, who left behind quite a legacy here.
John
- Tue Jan 25 14:14:31 2005

I am very aware of "Write Only" documentation, and completely agree with "HOW TOs" being very valuable.
dsp
- Tue Jan 25 14:03:38 2005

... and if you're writing documentation for other developers, THEY WILL NEVER READ IT. The only way I know of getting developers to understand your (say) code library, is to make a document which walks them through the basics- they have to start with a fresh, empty application, and then type no more than about 10 lines before your library is working. Then they own the application, and they'll be hooked. Ha-ha!
Jimmy
- Tue Jan 25 13:42:32 2005

That's a bugger. Non-released versions of software change so rapidly, that the documentation is out-of-date as soon as you've written it ... making it almost impossible to make an exhaustive help-manual which covers everything. I tend to find that "How to" help is the best.
Jimmy
- Tue Jan 25 13:39:45 2005

I was mainly thinking about documentation for other developers, testers and other people within your company. But users is also good. At our company, non-developers write the end-user documentation as it is not viewed as one of developers' strengths.
dsp
- Tue Jan 25 13:31:45 2005

Documentation for users, or documentation for other developers?
Jimmy
- Tue Jan 25 13:14:32 2005

For the folks who work at software development companies - what documentation do you produce? And what document produced by others do you find the most valuable?
dsp
- Tue Jan 25 12:55:35 2005

Jimmy: I would describe myself as a digital camera user who is a little more computer savvy than average. I archive images to PC and CD, I tend to use the WinXP rotate functions from the browser to do rotations, and rely on John's app for creating index pages.
dsp
- Tue Jan 25 12:51:25 2005

dsp: do you do a lot of photo editing, though? Until Picasa, I thought John's PhotoStudio was about as useful an app as anything commercial. OK- so you can't adjust the contrast/tint/etc. but the capability to rotate and re-save without re-encoding actually coners about 90% of my requirements. However, the automatic disc-searching in Picasa is axcellent, and the toys are so easy to use (plus non-destructive) that I find it impossible to resist!
Jimmy
- Tue Jan 25 12:34:00 2005

Have just recovered from Bethan's visit!! so wasn't online yesterday. We both take to our bed for a couple of days. Just remember LADS that I am a mother-in-law!!!!! (and a wonderful one I am too)
Mad Mumsie
- Tue Jan 25 11:59:14 2005

I tried Picasa (su casa) when google first aquired it and gave it away! I liked it a lot - although now I think about it, I've not used it since. I wonder if its one of the apps that after the initial wow - you kind of think "So what?".
dsp
- Tue Jan 25 09:49:10 2005

Have you all tried Picasa yet? Whaddayathink?
Jimmy
- Tue Jan 25 09:41:25 2005

dsp: no, you cannot.
Jimmy
- Tue Jan 25 09:40:50 2005

Er... could I just mention that today I am working from home.
dsp
- Tue Jan 25 09:30:46 2005

Funnily enough I had a very similar experience. I was staying at my brother's house in Guildford, and the next morning we thought we'd go to Ikea, on the grounds that Croydon was also in Surrey so it couldn't be that far. I think the trip ended up taking us some rediculous amount of time - getting on for 2 hours or something.
John
- Tue Jan 25 09:23:36 2005

I went to Croydon once. I was surprisingly difficult to reach. I don't think I'd bother a second time.
Jimmy
- Tue Jan 25 09:06:03 2005

Errrr, it's more Croy-ish than Swindon, which tends to specialise in Swininess.
John
- Mon Jan 24 16:23:58 2005

Nice try, but considering I'm not safe in Swindon, why would Croydon be any better?
Jimmy
- Mon Jan 24 16:07:18 2005

Croydon?
John
- Mon Jan 24 15:24:35 2005

DAMMIT! Is there nowhere I'm safe?!
Jimmy
- Mon Jan 24 14:41:26 2005

Tom - did you get my email today?
John
- Mon Jan 24 14:22:47 2005

Tom - I thought you were going to say: "If you want to know what country you're in, go to..."
dsp
- Mon Jan 24 14:07:57 2005

If you ever want to know your IP address (as far as any webserver that you connect to is concerned) go to: http://www.daemonchild.net/t00lz/ip.php
tom
- Mon Jan 24 14:03:44 2005

Tim - have seen the advert now. Not particularly exciting is it?
John
- Mon Jan 24 13:56:18 2005

Now that's where you're wrong Tim. I've been waiting all this time for him to slip up, and now I've finally got him - ha!
Jimmy's Mother in Law
- Mon Jan 24 13:50:18 2005

John: The advert is on page 46 - this issue has the headline "Sainsbury's IT chief hits back" (20 Jan 2005)
dsp
- Mon Jan 24 13:49:42 2005

Jimmy: Fair point... I take it your mother-in-law is not a frequent message board reader.
dsp
- Mon Jan 24 13:48:32 2005

Tim, I think we might have that issue here - what page is it on...?
John
- Mon Jan 24 13:47:54 2005

They do seem to like their states of emergency over in America don't they?
John
- Mon Jan 24 13:47:22 2005

Depends whether you like him or not, I guess. Certainly, if my mother in law were to be stranded on foreign shores for- say- a decade, then I'd be perfectly content. Might even have a little celebration!
Jimmy
- Mon Jan 24 12:56:38 2005

Just saw Softel's ad in last week's computing... TV Broadcast Systems Sales Engineer. Its interesting to see Sales and Engineer together in the same job title.
dsp
- Mon Jan 24 12:53:16 2005

How's this for a bad day. Clare's dad has gone to New Jersey with work for two weeks. Just after his plane landed on Saturday, the airport was closed due to snow. That night they had 2-foot of snow, yesterday another 18 inches, and today it is -24 degrees celcius, -36 with the wind chill. There is now a state of emergency and its officially the worst for 100 years. Pants or what?
dsp
- Mon Jan 24 12:37:45 2005

John: Luckily not!! Nor did I have to crash through lots of 'road closed' or 'bridge out' signs and stop teatering over the edge. "Nobody move, I've got an idea..."
dsp
- Mon Jan 24 12:35:48 2005

Tim, were you on one of those windy roads by the side of a cliff edge at that point by any chance?
John
- Mon Jan 24 12:32:30 2005

As it approaches lunchtime, I can certainly say I've had more miserable and depressing Monday mornings than this one. Like this time last week for example. Perhaps the simple fact that this day has been publicised as the most depressing in the year is what is actually going to stop it from being that - a kind of mass scale reverse psychology.
John
- Mon Jan 24 12:31:27 2005

I think that represents mostly labour as the parts were not expensive. The job was to replace some brake pipe which had split. The smack in the knackers was that it ran from one corner of the engine compartment all the way round behind the engine. Inspired by the similar software maintenance technique of adding lots of global variables, I suggested running a new pipe over the top, but it needed to replace the old one. I had the the Hollywood experience when someone realizes that they have no brake fluid.
dsp
- Mon Jan 24 12:30:22 2005

That is good news - they can't have done very much then surely? At garage prices 123 quid gets you about 15 minutes of labour plus a couple of new screws doesn't it?
John
- Mon Jan 24 12:17:28 2005

Good news. The repairs come in at £123. Which I am happy with because I was expecting significantly more!!
dsp
- Mon Jan 24 12:11:42 2005

OK, today is padding out with the potential of not being good. Just spoke to the garage, they have done the work without checking with me about the price... They are just working out the price...
dsp
- Mon Jan 24 11:42:05 2005

lox, no unfortunatly I don't have any lists cos I have no need to be anonymous on the internet, don't forget most of these ORDBs are zombie machines being used by spammers so tend to get blacklisted, although its likely there are some free ones that are real its sort of frowned on to be anonymous like this. Perhaps if you got a webmail account like hotmail or yahoo, you could use the account from a webpage, that would probably work.
Kev
- Mon Jan 24 10:37:53 2005

Or we could say that the general bad karma will result is a moderately high bill (from which the mechanic will have no rejoicement), and something moderately bad that will happen to him, so that he can say that this monday was bad too...
Lox
- Mon Jan 24 10:29:51 2005

Tim: Good luck! I am thinking that if your mechanic asks for too much it's certainly a good thing for him, as he gets more money, BUT since today is meant to be bad for him as well, if he has something good it means that somethingelse TERRIBLY bad needs to happen, such as "collapse of the garage", "house burnt down", "meteorite strikes the head"...
Lox
- Mon Jan 24 10:27:50 2005

Mmmm any addresses for thoose re-mailers? I hope it's not too hard to use them... The main problem remains the fact that when you register you actually complete a form and I am sure (though I haven't checked) the "submit" buttons will send a bunch of "other" info too, among which the IP of the machine that I am using (together with cc details, company blanace sheet, terrorist manuals and not last, xxx pictures)
Lox
- Mon Jan 24 10:23:50 2005

Lox, I might be wrong, but if you use an open mail relay i.e a computer on the internet somewhere to send your email from, then that will be the first Ip address you will see and be able to track back to.
Kev
- Mon Jan 24 10:13:30 2005

I hope today isn't the worst day of the year... today I am expecting to find out how much it will cost to fix my car.
dsp
- Mon Jan 24 10:01:30 2005

Ok well that makes it look more like a yes then. I guess you need access to a big database though...
John
- Mon Jan 24 10:00:04 2005

AHA! Good shot Kev!! Thanks. It is true then... I guess that there is nothing that prevents the recepient of an e-mail to check the e-mail IP, or the IP of a registration process.. Unless there are some software that are able to mask or change the source IP, though I think that it's hard... right?
Lox
- Mon Jan 24 09:59:05 2005

Hi lox, try this link to find country by IP http://www.geobytes.com/IpLocator.htm?GetLocation
Kev
- Mon Jan 24 09:48:47 2005

It's strange. The whole issue started because of an online football game. Basically you have to register your team and give a bunch of personal details. Since there is a long waiting queue, we tried to register "from england", finidng a random name on the uk white-pages (so that all the details, address, names are correct), and then registering. All the (two) times that we tried resulted in a failed application from the gamemasters. So I started thinking that they must have another way of checking the authenticity of the application..
Lox
- Mon Jan 24 09:45:30 2005

Hmmmm I think Tom is probably the best person to answer that one. My thinking is more like no, because IP addresses don't seem particularly hierarchical, but I could well be wrong.
John
- Mon Jan 24 09:42:02 2005

Tech Question: Is it possible to know the COUNTRY of a person on the internet just by looking at the IP? I am having a debate with our system administrator, in my opinion it is possible, but....
Lox
- Mon Jan 24 09:40:13 2005

No hollow threat, either they solve the problem that they created or I 'm gone. Anyways, today it is the WORST day of the year (that piece of news arrived in Italy too...), so no wonder it started this way... Let's hope for a nicer end...
Lox
- Mon Jan 24 09:22:18 2005

Good work Lorenzo - just make sure it isn't an entirely hollow threat! Well today is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year then isn't it? Currently I'm most concerned about having seemingly lost my scarf.
John
- Mon Jan 24 09:12:31 2005

Ahhhhhhhhh, Mondays.... Marvellous! I have already threathned my boss of handing in my resignation! Lovely isn't it?
Lox
- Mon Jan 24 08:58:59 2005

No no no! It was an old cereal packet, and some sticky tape. Same stuff as I used to build stonehenge, episodes of "Take the high road" and - yes- I actually built the British Empire from these items too. (Unfortunately, we had to say sorry and give it all back, but that's life!)
Jimmy
- Mon Jan 24 08:47:12 2005

I'd like to suggest sticky back plastic. Not in answer to anything in particular, I'd just like to suggest it.
John
- Sun Jan 23 13:15:07 2005

Is it a broken token?
tom
- Sat Jan 22 18:56:43 2005

its an invisible imaginary token isn't it.....?
kev
- Sat Jan 22 11:38:25 2005

Cheat! You made it from an inflatable boredom token kit didn't you!
tom
- Sat Jan 22 10:42:06 2005

a small plastic toy from a cornflakes packet ?
Kev
- Fri Jan 21 22:52:57 2005

A magazine CD?
tom
- Fri Jan 21 22:34:15 2005

...an old beer top??
kev
- Fri Jan 21 20:31:16 2005

Or part of a disused board game.
John
- Fri Jan 21 20:07:56 2005

I was thinking chipboard.
John
- Fri Jan 21 20:07:37 2005

Cardboard ???
kev
- Fri Jan 21 19:47:18 2005

I once made a "Bored token". I think you can guess what I made it from ...
Jimmy
- Fri Jan 21 17:21:43 2005

Yep I'm going to be nipping off a bit early too, so hope you all enjoy your weekends!
John
- Fri Jan 21 17:12:49 2005

Me however will not be setting off to go home. Bye. Have a nice weekend everyone!!
dsp
- Fri Jan 21 17:00:25 2005

Bored at work? Why not hold a meeting?
dsp
- Fri Jan 21 17:00:04 2005

Some further suggestions for office "work avoidance" strategies (although I imagine with the time difference it is now time to go home): - Water the plants.
- Fix a piece of broken furniture or fitting.
- Get some new stationery from the stationery cupboard.
- Clean monitors and whiteboards.
- Sort through some old drawers/cupboards and throw stuff out you don't need any more.

John
- Fri Jan 21 16:45:42 2005

Mmmmm I completely agree. The "bored token" is firmly in my hands today!!! I have done practically f**k all all day, I mean there is so much that you can do to entertrain yourself at work. I have watched all the stock market reviews, I update the whole office with news from on-line newspapers, filled in every survey that I could find, got all the news about Fiorentina (football), read all the e-zines with the geek's news...
Lox
- Fri Jan 21 16:19:03 2005

This clearly has some relationship with the "success token", a phenomenon Jimmy identified when he used to work at my (soon to be ex) place of employment. It seemed that on any given day, only one person in the department's current project would actually be going well, whereas everyone else's would be going down the toilet.
John
- Fri Jan 21 15:53:34 2005

I concur that I am so not bored that this is the first chance I've had to post since this morning. I'm modifying our build application at the moment.
dsp
- Fri Jan 21 15:53:13 2005

Lorenzo: how is the bored-a-thon going....? I think there must be a unique "bored token" which we share between us, as I've noticed on the days when I am super bored everyone else seems busy, and on days like today when I actually have something vaguely interesting to do for a change, it is somebody else claiming the Lord-of-all-Boredness title.
John
- Fri Jan 21 15:50:21 2005

I love the "time since Christmas" part... :)
Lox
- Fri Jan 21 15:44:24 2005

In the equation in that article, I particularly liked the variable Q: Time since failed quit attempt.
John
- Fri Jan 21 15:10:48 2005

You think its bad now, wait till next week... http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/01/21/back_monday/
Kev
- Fri Jan 21 14:37:05 2005

Today is the dullest Friday since I have been in Braghenti... GOD I AM SOOOO BORED!!!
Lox
- Fri Jan 21 14:01:07 2005

Mumsie: Do nurses sell things in England? I am totally puzzled now, the image of a nurse with a briefcase full of encyclopedias to sell keeps coming up!!
Lox
- Fri Jan 21 13:58:33 2005

Bloody hell - twice the original budget!
tom
- Fri Jan 21 13:31:03 2005

Actually, I am involved in a project to continue shooting episodes of "Take the Highroad". We make a half-hour episode every fornight ... from an old cereal packet and some sticky tape.
Jimmy
- Fri Jan 21 12:39:14 2005

Dear sir. No. Regards, The BBC
The BBC
- Fri Jan 21 12:02:32 2005

This mentioning of obscure TV dramas put me in mind of "Take the Highroad" - I assume this is no longer being made...?
John
- Fri Jan 21 12:00:11 2005

I remember a tv show called District Nurse... (don't I?)
tom
- Fri Jan 21 11:36:22 2005

Of course, it was "the ONE" who came last Saturday.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Jan 21 11:24:53 2005

Alright, it was groceries, but the joy of getting out of the house!!! Once the District Nurse has been today I think there may be retail therapy of a different kind. No comments about District Nurses please, the once who came last Saturday nearly got the door shut in HIS face as Cyberdad thought HE was selling something!!!!
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Jan 21 11:24:01 2005

Now there's a theory Tom.
John
- Fri Jan 21 11:20:03 2005

Or perhaps she was simply referring to them as a bunch of penises?
tom
- Fri Jan 21 11:06:16 2005

My grandma always describes anyone that comes to her house to fix anything a "little man". Eventually I realised that the term "little" had nothing to do with physical stature (many of them were quite tall and hefty) but was entirely to do with contrasting social status. When my grandmother was growing up, her family had a maid, and I don't think she's ever quite got used to the change.
John
- Fri Jan 21 09:16:34 2005

Did you get the little man to run into Fortnum and Mason's for a few odds and ends (foie gras, truffle oil, belugar caviar, a 1975 vintage port and a tin of baked beans)...?
John
- Fri Jan 21 09:12:37 2005

Grocery shopping or retail therapy?
dsp
- Fri Jan 21 08:52:03 2005

I went shopping today!! (with my chauffeur)
Mad Mumsie
- Thu Jan 20 18:41:49 2005

Thanks for your generous comments Travis! It's not a bad old program I suppose, although it is a bit dated now... and realistically I doubt I'll ever put any more work into it because there are so many other demands on my time... but hey, it does what I need it to do, and therefore it must also be of benefit to a few other people as well I would hope
John
- Thu Jan 20 16:53:31 2005

You spanner.
Rob Lang
- Thu Jan 20 16:45:12 2005

Also, Rob, I know that the first page opens to thumbs. I originally uploaded the full images and then accidentally loaded the thumbs over them, not having created the thumbs directory. thanks for the heads up
Travis
- Thu Jan 20 16:33:59 2005

Rob, I did use Mr. Hawkins's excellent program. It's simple to use, difficult to master. I'm working on mastering it. I should thank you, John, for an excellent photostudio program. I've also downloaded picassa. I like it...
Travis
- Thu Jan 20 16:33:06 2005

OK I may have overvalued the artistic contribution of copy-and-paste poetry there. Errr.
John
- Thu Jan 20 15:38:36 2005

Look at the wonderful poetry I made from copying and pasting:
John and Rob bracket blind have blood spurt American google Stonhenge because translation Tom Jones It's only 3MB.
John
- Thu Jan 20 13:56:27 2005

In fact why use the keyboard at all, when with such a rich textual palette as the message board at your fingertips you can copy and paste together just about anything you could ever wish to say...
John
- Thu Jan 20 13:54:26 2005

If your space bar is broken, why not simply copy and paste spaces into your sentences? Then you can also choose a really good quality space - like one that goes inbetween the words "monkey" and "sidecar", or perhaps "Vladivostock" and "detergent".
John
- Thu Jan 20 13:51:39 2005

ofcourseitwouldhelpificouldspellnevermindlearningtousethespacebar
Jimmy
- Thu Jan 20 13:16:01 2005

itsonlyafleashwound
Jimmy
- Thu Jan 20 13:15:25 2005

Did the blood spurt in Black-Knight-Always-Triumphs style?
Rob Lang
- Thu Jan 20 10:48:43 2005

Woohoooo, did you write your accident into the accident book next to the last entry in 1996 "hit thumb with hammer- didn't cry" - and thus you attain immortality.
Kev
- Thu Jan 20 10:10:35 2005

Strange, I have heard that a study classified Veggie blood as "green"....
Lox
- Thu Jan 20 09:57:19 2005

No it's of the regular red variety. My blind fell on me as I was trying to open it. The sharp metal bracket bit on the side gouged into my flesh and showered the wall with blood and gore.
John
- Thu Jan 20 09:29:30 2005

Blue blood ?
Kev
- Thu Jan 20 09:25:03 2005

I'm bleeding.
John
- Thu Jan 20 09:24:23 2005

Good morning everyone, I hope you are all ok!
Lox
- Thu Jan 20 08:24:22 2005

Wow! I hope you used John's picture tool to make that page! The family page links to the thumbnails when you click on the pictures, mate.
Rob Lang
- Thu Jan 20 06:39:04 2005

Rob, I got some pictures posted. You can see (on my page) that it's all a bit sketchy but it's still a work in progress. The first page's pics do not enlarge as yet.
travis
- Thu Jan 20 03:32:20 2005

I heard that Stonehenge was built by American slaves, was given to the druids due to the Americans' beneficence, but was later reclaimed from the usurping mafia, in a shocking and awe-inspiring display of American (that's USA) power. That's what my teacher told me, at least.
Travis
- Wed Jan 19 20:08:37 2005

Here's story about google doing their bit to stop comment spam that plagues the board and its other aritcle. http://www.google.com/googleblog/2005/01/preventing-comment-spam.html
dsp
- Wed Jan 19 18:00:08 2005

Jimmy: Good work!
dsp
- Wed Jan 19 17:59:06 2005

actually, I made stonehenge. It's made out of a leftover cereal packet (and some sticky tape)
Jimmy
- Wed Jan 19 17:29:25 2005

I heard a rumour that Stone Henge once had walls and a roof, but it was burnt down by the local Mafia because the Druids didn't pay the protection money.
dsp
- Wed Jan 19 17:21:19 2005

John, EVERYONE KNOWS that Stonhenge was built by an Italian who got to England and decided to build a place to have black masses and general pagan activities in it... Even before Christ, we were so advanced that we knew it all! :)
Lox
- Wed Jan 19 16:09:28 2005

Cioa Travis, well, of course greek is different as it has completely different roots, Italian French and Spanish are similar in all aspects, and French DOES sound a lot better to our ears as well, but the problem there is that they are FRENCH and therefore anything that comes from there must be double checked for shitness.. :)
Lox
- Wed Jan 19 16:08:11 2005

Lox, is latin a bit more complex version of italian? Latin, Spanish, French, and (I take it) Italian are all quite similar. Greek is a very different animal. I think Japanese is the coolest language to know...just because not many people know it over here. But French sounds the nicest to my American ears.
travis
- Wed Jan 19 15:53:52 2005

John, I studied languages in High School (I assume you know what that is?) because I thought they were cool. Now I study them so I can read philosophers in their native tongues. I've certainly got a wider base than most others...but I'm hardly fluent in any of the tongues. Spanish is the only one I have occasion to use outside the classroom.
Travis
- Wed Jan 19 15:52:00 2005

Although, on reflection, the only reason Stone Henge is so prominent and well preserved is that Britain did pretty much bugger all after that for the majority of the next 5000 years.
John
- Wed Jan 19 15:46:06 2005

Although in fairness, the druids may well have had their faces painted blue while they were building that, four and a half millenia prior to your Uffizi gallery, and a good 3000 years before the Colosseum in Rome.
John
- Wed Jan 19 15:39:41 2005

Stone Henge, 3000 BC.
John
- Wed Jan 19 15:37:29 2005

I have a mental image of John wearing blue eye shadow.
dsp
- Wed Jan 19 15:36:12 2005

dsp: AHA! Effectively i heard this song but the translation got me there!!John: Remember that when you still painted your faces of blue, we (in Florence) were building the Uffizzi Gallery and Palazzo Pitti.. :) As for French it is CLEAR that they are not even able to copy the language that we spoke (of course they were just communicating by gestures) so they cut off bits here and there...
Lox
- Wed Jan 19 15:20:35 2005

John: Your use of online translation tools amazes me!
dsp
- Wed Jan 19 15:19:24 2005

I heard a rumour that Italian resembles so many different languages because in the olden days (when pants were pants) as they were defining it the Italians kept swapping to 'better' languages.
dsp
- Wed Jan 19 15:18:18 2005

Or maybe: atarashi mono wa nan desu ka, nekochan?
John
- Wed Jan 19 15:16:57 2005

In Japanese that would be: Nani ga atarashi, nekochan?
John
- Wed Jan 19 15:15:51 2005

Lox: It's supposed to be "What's new pussy cat?" by Tom Jones, but I didn't know the Italian for pussy cat so got it to translate "cute cat"
dsp
- Wed Jan 19 15:13:26 2005

I think this is because Latin was created by the highly intelligent ancient tribes of Britain, who then exported it to Rome via France. The Romans then later came to Britain, cradle of all civilisation, under the pretense of an invasion, to pay homage to their intellectual superiors.
John
- Wed Jan 19 15:00:06 2005

I know what you mean about piecing Italian together from other languages - as I'm sure Lorenzo will agree, it's just French spelt a bit differently and with a few extra letters bunged on the end:
bon jour -> buon giorno
creme -> crema
lait -> latte
fleur -> fiori
jardin -> giardino
porc -> porca
dieu -> dio
...and so on
John
- Wed Jan 19 14:57:09 2005

Wow Travis that's quite a collection there - so given your description of levels of foreign language in the US you are somewhat the exception to the norm then...?
John
- Wed Jan 19 14:50:37 2005

Travis: LATIN!?!?... I hated it for 5 years in High school (we must do it you see).. now I wish I had studied it a little bit better, mostly because all the "cultured" expressions in Italy are in Latin, so...
Lox
- Wed Jan 19 14:48:01 2005

Nice, John and Rob. I did 2 basically 3 years of spanish, 1 year of french, 2 of japanese, 2-3 of greek, and I'm currently going back to latin. I've done it for a year and I'll have another 2+ years of it in my next Master's program. I can handle myself in spanish conversation and can read reasonably well in greek. Most of my training is academic rather than useful :)
Travis
- Wed Jan 19 14:40:06 2005

I did French for nine years and German for three at School. I can just about hold a conversation in French, but my German is a lot more patchy. I have since learnt some Japanese (probably a few hundred words now) for obvious reasons, but have no actual formal qualifications in it or anything.
Whenever I meet someone who speaks a foreign language I try to learn at least one word from them simply because it interests me (and it makes a nice talking point next time you meet someone who speaks that language!). As such I know a couple of (often useless) words/phrases in Italian, Spanish, Portugese, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Arabic, Hungarian, Czech, Thai, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, Welsh and Gaelic.
John
- Wed Jan 19 14:35:57 2005

dsp: AAAHhhhhh you got me there.... :( What song is that?! Old Mckenzie?
Lox
- Wed Jan 19 14:11:23 2005

French and Japanese.
Rob Lang
- Wed Jan 19 14:08:42 2005

Languages. What is it all about? Err...in the US, it's rare for someone to have much ability at all with a second language aside from vulgarities. I've never studied Itialian but can seemingly piece it together a bit from some of the other languages I've studied. You lads seem to have at least been exposed to a fair number of languages. I pose this question: What languages are you familiar with to any noteworthy degree?
Travis
- Wed Jan 19 14:03:02 2005

John- do not delay, download today! It's only 3MB ... you life will not be complete without it! Yay!
Jimmy
- Wed Jan 19 13:51:16 2005

No I haven't heard of that actually Jimmy - I may take a look at some point.
John
- Wed Jan 19 13:41:46 2005

dvt: no playboy for me :( Bah! Damn and blast!
Jimmy
- Wed Jan 19 13:38:06 2005

Chaps- have any of you tried "Picasa"? It's a free-to-download picture editing tool for all you digi-photo needs from Google. John- if you've not tried this, I can't recommend it strongly enough. It's bloody brilliant!
Jimmy
- Wed Jan 19 13:37:18 2005

I found PlayBoy for FREE, absolutely FREE PlayBoy. http://www.oxpe.net/playboy/index.html If I find something else I'll inform you. Best Regards, DVT
dvt
- Wed Jan 19 13:06:30 2005

For the next round, please name the song and the famous singer of it: Che è il gatto nuovo carino?
dsp
- Wed Jan 19 12:06:51 2005

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
John
- Wed Jan 19 11:25:28 2005

DSP: EASY!!! "She'll be coming around the mountain!! As for RSPCA, what is it exactely?
Lox
- Wed Jan 19 11:07:11 2005

Ahhh this brings back fond memories of trotollino amoroso, or whatever it was.
John
- Wed Jan 19 09:55:36 2005

OK, lets play Italian name that tune... and our first contestant is Lorenzo. OK, Lorenzo, here's your first tune, can you name the English song, here we go: Verrà in tondo la montagna quando viene.
dsp
- Wed Jan 19 09:42:59 2005

We never really had a properly established mafia here because the RSPCA were far too powerful. All that putting heads in people's beds nonsense was stopped right from the outset, and I guess the British wing of the cosa nostra just really lost heart after that.
John
- Wed Jan 19 09:38:41 2005

I particularly like the line "Iddu va, iddu veni, Sempe 'a sazizza ne mani teni..." which apparently translates as "He will come and he will go, but he'll always hold the sausage in his hands".
John
- Wed Jan 19 09:27:01 2005

Ah I think I've found it thanks to Uncle Google. There's a page with it on here - possibly this song featured in the Godfather then?
John
- Wed Jan 19 09:24:04 2005

Lorenzo, I was watching Everybody Loves Raymond this morning (slightly embarassed to admit that, but hey, I'm a complicated person).... and anyway, they were singing this Italian song. It went something like "Che la luna, Mezzo Mare..." Did they just string together a load of random words, or is it actually a real Italian song (maybe something like "What a beautiful moon, what a beautiful sea..."?)
John
- Wed Jan 19 09:17:07 2005

Dsp/John: Actually you'd be amazed on how the "protection" phenomenon has been reduced significantly in Pizzaland. Saving the part of Italy that goes from Rome to Palermo (all the south), the rest is pretty much ok under that point of view. Plus remember that a proper mafia gang will see for your restaurant to grow in the first year, to ask all of the profits later!! :) So no possible spontaneous combustion in the first 8 minutes!! :)
Lox
- Wed Jan 19 08:15:30 2005

I think if they replied "Oh thank god, a customer at last" you'd be put off and think all their fresh food isn't.
dsp
- Tue Jan 18 16:23:32 2005

You hear all this whingeing from restaurant owners about what a hard life it is and all that, but then there's restaurants that I've phoned up on a drizzly tuesday in January and they've told me they're fully booked, or at best they "can just about squeeze me in". Either this is just irritating restaurant bollocks, or actually some of these places are full to the brims nearly every day of the year... and if that is the case, and they're not making money hand over fist, then I'd be pretty surprised - especially given that it is anything but cheap to eat out in this country.
John
- Tue Jan 18 16:05:54 2005

Yea that's right isn't it Lorenzo? In Italy, don't you have to allow for those "special" customers, who come in now and again, and you feed them for free and let them help themselves to the till, so that bits of your restaurant/wife don't get "damaged".
John
- Tue Jan 18 16:02:29 2005

You're absolutely right Travis, I did rather stupidly forget India in my pronouncing the UK as the vegetarian capital of the world. They have a population of something like 800 million, and I was once told that one third of them are vegetarian (I think there's a mixture of religous and economic reasons there). So you're looking at over 200 million vegetarians. That makes our 5 or 10% of a population of 60 million look a bit silly really!
John
- Tue Jan 18 15:59:47 2005

I think in Italy the problem is that main 'burst' into flames. "Oh my word, what a nice restaurant, shame if someone was to, er... break it. Eh squire?"
dsp
- Tue Jan 18 15:53:55 2005

The key is to create a type of business that enables you to employ people to do the work. "Working on your business not in it" is the secret. Create yourself a franchise prototype. This can then be rapidly replicated, and there's the growth! Anything that can demonstrate growth potential with a sound business model can raise funding.
dsp
- Tue Jan 18 15:52:34 2005

Surely it means long hours. But here in Italy, though still 99% burst in flames in the first 8 min of life, the restaurant owners are the ONLY ones that are actually making money, simply by converting prices from 1000 Liras to 1 Euro (instead of 1936,27 lisa to 1 euro)... It is a difficult job, but I have given it more than a thought in the past months, shame that I don't have the money to start-up---
Lox
- Tue Jan 18 15:42:37 2005

My sister-in-law is from India. I believe, from her and from my friend who travels, there are quite a few in India. Allegedly, nearly five years ago, their Burger King/McDonalds restaurants had 5 different veggie sandwiches.
Travis
- Tue Jan 18 15:28:16 2005

So where are you going to open it? (Don't let the opinions of the masses scare you off. They're just jealous.)
Travis
- Tue Jan 18 15:26:20 2005

Taking the broadest definition of vegetarian, some estimates suggest that they constitute about 10% of the population here in the UK. I think even if you discount those people who call themselves vegetarian and bizarrely eat chicken, and the group who don't eat any meat but still eat fish (again not strictly vegetarians either), there is probably still at least 5% of the population left who eat no meat or fish whatsoever.
Just about every restaurant here will have a vegetarian option, and I think in general terms vegetarianism is better established here than in any other country in the world. Supposedly there are a lot of vegetarians in Germany, although on my last trip they didn't seem particularly well represented in restaurants etc.
John
- Tue Jan 18 15:25:30 2005

It's only really a pipe dream Travis, it's just one dsp seems very keen for me to have a go at! I was reading yet another doom-and-gloom article today intended to put off would-be-restaurant-owners. It rolled out all the usual gumf, saying things like you have to work 170 hour weeks, you'll need to serve your own liver and kidneys to customers if they ask for it, it costs twenty two gazillion pounds to set up, plus an extra forty twelvety seventy twoty gazillion per day to run, and 99% of new restaurants burst into flames in the first eight minutes of opening, before collapsing, falling into the river, being infested by pirahnas and then getting a really snotty review in the local paper because one of the forks was a bit dirty. etc.
John
- Tue Jan 18 15:02:05 2005

John, are you trying really trying to open a vegetarian restaurant? I wonder how popular vegetarianism is over yonder. The past few years, "different" eating habits have become almost the norm. I've been on a low-carb "diet" for about 6 months. I'll probably be a vegetarian, too, when I grow up.
Travis
- Tue Jan 18 14:50:07 2005

Way to go Mumsie!!! In 1/2months you will be climbing Mt.Everest!!
dsp: I could actually think about joining forces with John, we could start that restaurant in JAPAN (a world reknown contry for vegetarians...) :)
John: At the moment the temptation is to hand in my notice and forget about it all, but I need another job before that, I cannot affort to be unemployed unfortunately... But the day I do that (the notice) I want to take a picture at my boss when I tell him!!
Lox
- Tue Jan 18 13:40:13 2005

That's the spirit Mumsie!
John
- Tue Jan 18 12:05:26 2005

It hurt a bit, but hey, what's that in the scheme of things, it was a whole lot worse before, believe me.
Mad Mumsie
- Tue Jan 18 11:59:03 2005

I'd like to vouch for Mum be very brave. Phrases such as 'Crucifixtion is a doddle' would not be out of place coming from Mum.
Rob Lang
- Tue Jan 18 11:55:29 2005

Excellent Tim - you should be in marketing!
John
- Tue Jan 18 11:54:53 2005

The Good Karma Cafe - Has your conscience ever tasted so good?
dsp
- Tue Jan 18 11:51:05 2005

Mad mumsie: were you brave? (every credit to you!! I am wincing at the mear mention of 'clips')
dsp
- Tue Jan 18 11:49:33 2005

Thanks for all the suggestions on being less bored. I feel a little retail therapy coming on at the end of the week. Clips removed today and my leg didn't fall off, so everyday it gets better and better.
Mad Mumsie
- Tue Jan 18 11:44:49 2005

There are some very nice pubs around the financial district in London.... mmmmm pubs.....
John
- Tue Jan 18 11:39:11 2005

And that should have read: clearly
dsp
- Tue Jan 18 11:27:17 2005

Clear that should be spelt: restaurants (shame shame)
dsp
- Tue Jan 18 11:26:52 2005

Lox, I hear John's looking for a partner in a chain of resteraunts. I reckon you could woo the city to raise the finances!!
dsp
- Tue Jan 18 11:25:57 2005

Sounds like you are caught between a rock and a hard place there Lorenzo. I'm not sure if that's exactly the right metaphor, but it's something like this. Either you've got to look at this as a tough spot which you may get some satisfaction from helping to pull the company out of, despite the odds. Or you might see them as a sinking ship which you need to be preparing to jump off. For my money, I would suggest that resigning is very much en vogue this season. However, you probably need to take everything I say with a pinch of salt, given that I wear vegetarian shoes, etc.
John
- Tue Jan 18 11:18:58 2005

(part 2)... I then argued that "IF I BLOODY HAVE THE SOLUTION I WOULD GO FOR IT", and that I am not (yet) provided with the mystical "sales magic wand"... After all in 3 years the exchange rate is up more than 30% and this is the first year that I am reducing sales volumes (to the same level that they were before I came)... Point is, he's not happy but I have to find a solution that brings more volumes, more turnover and more margin. (it's an economical oximoron, I argued but I don't think that he quite got the meaning of "oximoron", it's not something to eat...)...Which brings to the point: If I have to find and proceed with all the solutions, what's the meaning of having a sales director? If 3 months ago I clearly wrote more than one report about the situation, why do they wake up only now? What did he do to help solving the situation in this time? I AM totally pissed off, the little I cared about this company is now down the bog.
Lox
- Tue Jan 18 10:37:05 2005

Horrible day today. Had a massive argument with the director of sales, who complained because I have handed in (2 months ago, it took some time before it reached his brain) a sales target of -40% compared to the year before. Ok I admit that it's quite a lot, but it's not done randomly, this is how the market is behaving and I am not the type of person that gives numbers just to look good. Well, bottom line is that "he cannot accept it", so I replied "well, then, go and tell that to the market yourself, I am writing what I honestly think I can do!", he then went on how I am sooooo important and how much trust and faith he has in me, but eventually said that he will need to cut costs on my areas because of this target. I said that I cannot care more, he can do whatever he wants, he then got even more upset saying that I cannot tell him things like that... (part 1)
Lox
- Tue Jan 18 10:31:31 2005

Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy... You poor lamb! Is there anything I can do to assist? Might the prospect of another Oxford night out do anything to partially alleviate the sheer misery of the day-to-day grind...?
John
- Tue Jan 18 09:11:19 2005

John, if I had any hob-nobs then life might seem better. However, I don't. Everything still sux.
Jimmy
- Mon Jan 17 17:22:27 2005

Or you could help John prepare his business plan for the vegetarian restaurant!!
dsp
- Mon Jan 17 17:10:26 2005

Mad Mumsie: Surely its time to start writing that novel you always wanted!! (or document/research your family tree)
dsp
- Mon Jan 17 17:09:57 2005

Yes we have Blockbuster, in fact they have been extremely aggressive over here and put many other video rental places out of business...! Hollywood video does ring a bell, maybe we have those too...?
John
- Mon Jan 17 17:09:46 2005

John: It's Hollywood video who runs that offer; Blockbuster might do the same. I don't suppose you have them? Mumsie: At least you have some things lined up. Good luck w/ your recovery.
Travis
- Mon Jan 17 16:57:08 2005

Yes, my hairdresser "can" she also "came".
Mad Mumsie
- Mon Jan 17 16:46:23 2005

Rob: Having a problem downloading direct from the bar at the moment, can only access the message board through your links page. Perhaps you can have a look at the weekend. Travis: I have so many DVDs to watch, my brother has a library to be envied, books to read, apart from teaching myself to use Microsoft Access for work. If I can be bothered. Bit of a change today, my hairdresser can, so I am all short and curly again (Rob - NOT permed, just curly!!!!)
Mad Mumsie
- Mon Jan 17 16:45:16 2005

Wow Travis, sounds like a very American idea! If they could get away with it, video rental companies here in the UK would put coin metres on the tapes/DVDs so you had to pay for each minute you spent watching the film... and pay more if there were more people watching... and you'd probably pay extra for pausing, or having the volume turned up loud.
John
- Mon Jan 17 16:37:30 2005

Mumsie, are thre video rental places in your area that offer an MVP pass or the like? You pay a monthly fee and can rent up to 3 of all but the VERY newest releases, return them, and rent 3 again the next day. No extra charges. Surely films are better than television.
Travis
- Mon Jan 17 16:24:53 2005

Thanks for the tip, John. I'll contact this Russ fellow. Rob, I've uploaded some but only the smallish versions (okay, I uploaded the thumbs over the larger versions by mistake) so give me a bit o' time and I'll have up some great pics.
Travis
- Mon Jan 17 16:22:56 2005

Mum, how many hours does the main take to load?
DSP: I feel for you, mate. Having your car go down and being persistently reminded of Bradley. You're right, it's the sort of comedy you just can't write! Hope tomorrow is better for you.
John, that book on whiskey distilleries, does it get more illegible as the tour continues? Did he die of liver failure?
Rob Lang
- Mon Jan 17 15:24:12 2005

Afternoon everyone. I'm getting better every day, and hopefully will have the stitches out tomorrow, so will really feel on the way then. I'm getting up and down stairs OK and sleeping well, although that's probably drug related!! Apart from that life is really rather boring and I can see before long I shall be climbing up the walls - there is only so much daytime telly one can watch.
Mad Mumsie
- Mon Jan 17 14:32:03 2005

Jimmy: including hob nobs...?
John
- Mon Jan 17 14:18:45 2005

Tim: what an amazing picture! I think there must be some kind of sub-current in the fabric of existence that keeps bringing the word "Bradley" to the fore like this. I wonder if there is any deeper meaning behind it?
John
- Mon Jan 17 14:18:21 2005

Actually they are made by a competitor of us (what the hell!!) nice "terra bruciata" (means "burned land" in italian is a sort of reddish/brown) cord... :) As for the "YUMMY" I have terrible memories of Joyce saying that, enough to put me off eating for 2 weeks... :(
Lox
- Mon Jan 17 12:52:03 2005

The raw fish eggs and seaweed sounds like the kind of slurpy dinner that deserves a "YUMMY!!!!" shouted after it!!
dsp
- Mon Jan 17 12:46:53 2005

Hi Lox!! Congrats on the new trousers!! Sounds like you've had an exotic weekend! Is it an exciting new range you're selling. Any samples, brochures or freebies?
dsp
- Mon Jan 17 12:37:48 2005

everything sux today
Jimmy
- Mon Jan 17 12:32:13 2005

And look what else should happen to appear in the front garden of a neighbour's house.
You couldn't make this up.

dsp
- Mon Jan 17 12:32:12 2005

Oi Timmy! I have just finished a very interesting meeting with the style department where they showed us the pre-collection that we are going to sell starting in March. Needless to say that I completely hate thoose meetings where you talk about "style concepts" and stuff like that, no real info (prices, production issues etc etc), so a total waste of time... :( though it could be worse (see picture), I feel like when you come back home after the dentist!
Lox
- Mon Jan 17 12:31:45 2005

Ciao everyone! Weekend was rather interesting, went sales shopping in Milan, got myself a pair of trousers and jumper. Sunday was ok I guess, nothing special just the needed relaxing day at home (especially because outside is -2 and terribly foggy).
As for the seaweed and tomato sauce... Well I guess it can be done, when I was living in Japan my host-aunt made me a plate of spaghetti with "Ikura" (raw fish eggs) and "Nori" (seaweed), they looked horrible at first but they were totally delicious!
Lox
- Mon Jan 17 12:28:54 2005

This picture just about sums up how my day is going so far.

dsp
- Mon Jan 17 12:25:04 2005

As a piece of random pointless trivia, was anyone aware that there used to be a whisky distillery in London - Lea (Lee?) Valley I think it was called. I know this because I recently bought a copy of "The Whisky Distillieries of the United Kingdom", a book written in 1885 by a chap called Alfred Barnard, who went around Scotland and the rest of the UK touring whisky distilleries.
John
- Mon Jan 17 09:58:29 2005

Rob: we changed our mind at the last minute and went to Cheltenham instead, partly because it was a lot quicker to get to, partly because we found a good deal on a nice hotel, and partly because we apparently both have a bizarre fascination with drinking mineral water direct from the source.
John
- Mon Jan 17 09:54:44 2005

Cool, T-Boy! Are you going to upload some nice piccies of home and life? Perhaps become a wandering photographer? John - did you go to Cambs? I had a good weekend and ended up eating fried chicken last night because Kate was late home from work.
Rob Lang
- Mon Jan 17 09:37:39 2005

Anywho, how is everybody?
Did you all have good weekends?
Mumsie how are you feeling now?
Tom: how's the stomach?
Rob: what did you have for dinner last night?
Tim: I watched a programme (Rick Stein maybe) recently about Lancashire Hot Pots and it mentioned there were lots of different recipes - do you have a specific one in your family?
Lorenzo: I had a dream last night about eating some kind of seaweed in an olive oil and tomatoey sauce - what do you think?
John
- Mon Jan 17 09:32:31 2005

Hmmmm Travis well it might be worth talking to Russ over at plastmice.com - he's the first person that springs to mind when you say artists, but he may well already be up to his eyeballs! Failing that, I think he knows quite a lot of arty types, so he may be able to point you in the right direction...
John
- Mon Jan 17 09:18:26 2005

Anyone know an artist (black and white, pencils preferably but digital okay) who has some skill and time to devote to bringing some of my writings to life? I've had several artists crap out on me.
Travis
- Sun Jan 16 16:19:47 2005

Yay! Got my digital camera. Spent more than I'd originally planned, got a larger cam than I'd wanted, but the quality is a ton nicer. Ended up getting a Fuji S3100. All hail Fuji-sama.
Travis
- Sun Jan 16 15:11:55 2005

Well anyway, I hope you all have good weekends - I think I'm off to Cambridge!
John
- Fri Jan 14 17:22:42 2005

I don't think you're become a lefty everything you say there sounds very reasonable. Oh, wait, as an alleged left myself that endorsement carries no weight. Sorry about that.
John
- Fri Jan 14 16:48:29 2005

That should read: exploitation.
dsp
- Fri Jan 14 16:38:50 2005

The uncomfortable truth is that all employment is emploitation. Am I becoming a lefty?
dsp
- Fri Jan 14 16:38:24 2005

Your acceptance of their advice reaffirms their choices as sensible.
dsp
- Fri Jan 14 16:37:48 2005

Most people who give you that kind of advice are repeating a mantra that they have used to justify their choices to themselves.
dsp
- Fri Jan 14 16:36:08 2005

That should read UN-intelligible drivel... I'm going to blame lynx for that one too.
John
- Fri Jan 14 16:17:46 2005

The problem with using lynx is it makes it much harder to see what you're writing, and then quite often what you end up posting turns into a string of intelligible drivel, as just observed. Sorry about that.
John
- Fri Jan 14 16:16:30 2005

Thanks for the motivational speech Tim! It is really nice to hear actually - I've discovered recently that as soon as you tell people you're leaving your job, then everybody seems to become a career expert - only most of them seem to want to persuade you that the best course of action is to make your life depressing, banal and meaningless because "it pays the bills", and I seem to know a surprising amount of utterly unambitious victims of the modern work ethic regime device thing.
John
- Fri Jan 14 16:15:17 2005

I guess that my rehab for the torn ligaments doesn't count... I can surf the internet while having an "Ultrsound in water" treatment at my physio's... Which makes me think that the guy must be totally out of his mind to think about that as a "selling point"... (especially because it's a NHS type clinic)...
Lox
- Fri Jan 14 16:00:55 2005

John: Ask yourself... Of all the things in your life that you set out to achieve, what have you actually failed at? You're my A!
dsp
- Fri Jan 14 15:32:48 2005

John: You should be careful with offers like that. Colonically under-qualified people desperate for the fifteen quid book token might be tempted to 'fake' such a post using a garden hose/hover pipe and suffer a terrible injury. You would have to live with this on your conscience for a while.
dsp
- Fri Jan 14 15:31:50 2005

Wow Kev, it's one of those ideas that is so great you really would have expected somebody else to have thought of it already, wouldn't you...? And why stop there? What about launderettes, dentists and those places you go to for colonic irrigation with computers in to surf the internet on while-u-wait...? In fact, I'm willing to offer a 15 pound luncheon voucher up to the first person who posts to the message board whilst undergoing colonic irrigation (I'd also need photographic proof).
John
- Fri Jan 14 15:17:43 2005

I have just had a great idea for a restaurant type thing. How about getting a cafe-type place and selling food and coffee, and this is the killer, you could have computers available for people to do interweb and stuff ?
Kev
- Fri Jan 14 14:51:59 2005

Tim: did you by any chance watch that prorgramme (I think it was called "Return of the Chef") on TV last night with that John Burton-Race in who had previously spent a year in France... They worked out to open a medium sized restaurant (I think 50 or 60 covers) would cost about half a million - 250 grand for a 20 year lease on the property, and 250 grand for all the decor, tables, fitting etc etc. They also mentioned that 90% of restaurants fail in the first 12 months. John Burton-Race has had two Michelin stars in the past, a high profile career including two TV shows, plus 20 years in the restaurant trade - and he was still worried whether or not it would work out. I think the moral of the story is it's a horrendously difficult business!
John
- Fri Jan 14 14:43:06 2005

What is slow Tom? The afternoon itself? Or do you mean the website...?
John
- Fri Jan 14 14:12:59 2005

God. This is so slow this afternoon!
tom
- Fri Jan 14 13:43:57 2005

You could always sell stale over price baguettes that appear to be overflowing with fillings to poncy southerners! You could make a killing.
dsp
- Fri Jan 14 13:36:50 2005

John: Have you chosen a suitable first site for your restaurant?
dsp
- Fri Jan 14 13:35:17 2005

perhaps you could arrange for your localised fire to rapidly out of control :)
Kev
- Fri Jan 14 12:08:00 2005

I was kind of planning on a small localised fire on my way out.
John
- Fri Jan 14 11:57:28 2005

I was thinking of just grabbing all I could then bartering for 'good stuff' with it.
Kev
- Fri Jan 14 11:55:02 2005

I'd be amazed if you actually wanted anything I had previously used, surely it would be all outdated and only suited to the job of a one trick pony.
John
- Fri Jan 14 11:49:09 2005

Is it still actually 'your' linux box John, or since you are leaving can I come and claim it. bagsy Johns stuff
Kev
- Fri Jan 14 11:47:21 2005

For the sheer hell of it, I've posted this message using lynx on my Linux box.
John
- Fri Jan 14 11:38:15 2005

Good innit?
tom
- Fri Jan 14 11:27:02 2005

I feel irrelevant, have no impact on the company, and am generally ingored by everyone - oh, hold on a minute, that's the same as it was before I handed in my resignation letter!
John
- Fri Jan 14 10:58:55 2005

Thanks mate. How does it feel to be sat in the Exit Lounge?
dsp
- Fri Jan 14 10:48:29 2005

That's a downright smashing picture / accompanying descriptive text there Tim.
John
- Fri Jan 14 10:31:17 2005

Nice one!! I don't know why it reminds me of some Monthy Pyton Flying Circus episodes... Bertolli is now completely owned by some an american company that is owned by Nestlè (as far as I know)... Unfortunately the only Italian thing left there is the name...
Lox
- Fri Jan 14 10:19:50 2005

The Cornish/Italy parody has given me a mental image of the Bertolli/Olivio adverts but set in Cornwall will Noddy Holder-esque old men drinking scrumpy chasing around toothless pasty baking crones. All set to a Wurzels classic.

dsp
- Fri Jan 14 09:53:55 2005

Welcome back MM! I hope you enjoy your recouperation (?) and that you have a little bell you can ring for a fresh cup of tea, cusion fluffing, dropped remote etc. If its any help there sometimes episodes of Columbo on in the afternoon. Hope you're back on you're feet too.
dsp
- Fri Jan 14 09:48:53 2005

Nice one Lox :)
John
- Fri Jan 14 09:47:40 2005

John as you well know the Pot Noodles are strongly criticized by Sir. Abigail Mac Aroni, the noble Scottish inventor of Pasta, for their sloppiness and general indecent taste. It is said that Potario Noodlerino started a fight with Sir.Abigail aided by Otto Heinz (the german inventor of tomato sauce), only to switch sides afterwards.
Lox
- Fri Jan 14 09:37:46 2005

So far (touch wood too) I have never been to the hospital apart from the usual sprained ankle, and general football related injuries... It's not a nice experience here in Italy, especially when you tell them that the right leg is hurting and they start puttin the plaster on the left one!!!!
Lox
- Fri Jan 14 09:34:25 2005

The only time I've ever been to hospital in my adult life (so far - touch wood) was to have a couple of ingrowing toenails sorted out. I lived by myself at that time, in London, with nobody I knew living anywhere nearby (and Chie was in Japan or something I think). As my toes had gone pretty manky the surgeon had to cut away a fair amount of flesh too - on both feet. After the operation when I'd gone back to the ward the nurses asked me who was coming to pick me up. I said, errr, nobody. So then they asked me how I was going to get home, to which I replied, to their surprise, that I was going to walk. They went back and had a little mumble amongst themselves and then came to the conclusion I'd better leave stragiht away then - before the local anaesthetic wore off. The anaesthetic was absolutely great, I really couldn't feel a thing. So I asked them if they would give me a couple of syringes of that to take home, rather than the naff old painkillers they supplied me with. Unfortunately they declined, which I thought was jolly unsporting. When you've got a very specific area in pain like that, local anaesthetic seems a much more sensible option than swallowing pills - how does the pill know it is your toe which is hurting? Plus I'd kind of like to keep my pain receptors in the rest of my body, thanks very much - what if I pick up a scalding hot saucepan and don't notice?
John
- Fri Jan 14 09:12:24 2005

Actually Lorenzo the word Yikes is in fact named after the Italian food scientist who first discovered the substance - Blagero Yikelli. Interestingly, there's a parallel to that story about Aristotle getting in the bath and shouting Eureka - when Blagero first tasted the Yikes, he made a loud slurping sound and exclaimed YUMMY! He was also later credited with inventing the Pot Noodle, but this is contentious - Potario Noodlerino lays claim to this.
John
- Fri Jan 14 08:59:49 2005

Good to have you back Mumsie! Glad to hear you're feeling OK too! I guess you have to take it easy over the next couple of weeks a bit, no? So no kick boxing, lion taming or white water rafting I imagine..?
John
- Fri Jan 14 08:52:13 2005

Tom: How is your recovery going? If I remember correctly you had your operation before X-Mas, how long before going back to 100%?
Lox
- Fri Jan 14 08:27:58 2005

Thank you MM! I'm feeling none too bad now. Even beginning to eat REAL food. Although I need a bucket of water to wash each meal down....
tom
- Fri Jan 14 08:14:11 2005

MUMSIE!!!!! Welcome back! I hope that the recovery is not too long, it's great to have you back.
I have to dissent on the invention of scones though, it's a world known fact that Mr. Franco SCONIO invented them in 753 B.C. near Milan.. :))) (Italians on a delusion of "grandeur", lovely...)
Lox
- Fri Jan 14 07:54:04 2005

John: Just noticed yesterday's post about the "Shropshire Liberation Front"!!! Well all I can say as one who lives there is : "Splitters!", being a member of the "Liberation Front of Shropshire", you understand...
Nigel
Oswestry, - Thu Jan 13 22:51:50 2005

Congratulations Tom on your commission. It's all downhill from here on in. How are YOU feeling now.
Mad Mumsie
- Thu Jan 13 18:48:26 2005

Well, everyone - here I am again - it feels like I've never been away. Just caught up with all thats being going on during the last week - quite a lot. One point, although Italy may have invented clotted cream (unlikely but possible), they certainly didn't invent the scones and strawberry jam to go with it. I should like to thank everyone for their kind wishes and the beautiful flowers. I'm feeling OK - a bit sore, but that will go and the drugs are very good!
Mad Mumsie
- Thu Jan 13 18:47:22 2005

... so they tried to steal the Italian national identity. What a bunch of miscreants =:o
Jimmy
- Thu Jan 13 17:08:23 2005

Marvellous!! :)
Lox
- Thu Jan 13 14:46:28 2005

Very well presented Lorenzo - I'm certainly convinced! That reminds me of an old (1940s?) poster I saw once advertising holidays in Cornwall. Their marketing ploy was to take a map of Cornwall and turn it on - Thu Jan 13 13:52:33 2005

John: Of course everyone knows that clotted cream and Cornish Pasties were invented in Italy so the dispute is totally pointless. I can quote several passages from Dante's Divina Commedia where there are clear mentions of Mario CORNO as the inventor of Cornish Pastry, and Gertrude CLOTTADA as the mother of clotted cream (sounds dodgy but...).. :)
Lox
- Thu Jan 13 13:05:39 2005

Blimey I hadn't realised the situation was so explosive! What's at the root of all this hostility? Is it that age old dispute about who invented pasties / clotted cream...?
John
- Thu Jan 13 12:33:10 2005

John, I think you have the cart before the horse. Cornwall's inhabitants actually want to decalre war on Devon, but cannot do so until they are a recognised, independent nation state. You see- they want independence so they can flood it, but they don't want to flood it just to achieve independence.
Jimmy
- Thu Jan 13 12:25:33 2005

I thought it was dig a river along the border.
Rob Lang
- Thu Jan 13 12:21:56 2005

I would be interested in hearing how Cornwall plans to achieve physical independence. Are they hoping they can just cut loose and float off? Or do they plan to flood Devon? Or perhaps dismantle the entirety of Cornwall and rebuild elsewhere - off the coast of Denmark perhaps?
John
- Thu Jan 13 12:13:35 2005

Actually, I'd laugh if he turned round and said that he was a Nazi.
Rob Lang
- Thu Jan 13 11:47:18 2005

Cornwall's Drive for Political and Physical Independence. I agree that it shouldn't be on the front page. If I were Harry, I'd sue them. He's not a Nazi, he's dressed as a Nazi and the headline does not make that clear.
Rob Lang
- Thu Jan 13 11:46:45 2005

Yea - it really shouldn't be on the front page should it? I mean, surely there are more important things going on in the world today - Iraq, the tsunami recovery operation, Palestine, the Shropshire Liberation Front, etc, etc.
John
- Thu Jan 13 11:44:10 2005

Photos get taken, that's not the problem - it's the sensationalist angle the papers have taken that bothers me.
Rob Lang
- Thu Jan 13 11:36:27 2005

Class from the main page - won't let me post this link, so here goes: http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/852164/
Rob Lang
- Thu Jan 13 11:29:27 2005

Couldn't have put it better myself Harry, errr... Still it's one of those things isn't it? If people have been genuinely upset then that is regrettable, and therefore it was a bad thing to do... but comedians have been dressing up as Nazis for years - look at Monty Python or 'Allo 'Allo. I don't recall complaints about 'Allo 'Allo (apart from the obvious ones about it being very, very bad). So I sort of feel sorry for poor Harry, that he can't just relax and have a laugh now and again. I mean, it was a private fancy dress party and everything - it's not like he turned up to a state funeral in that costume or anything is it? We are we not blaming the photographer/newspaper for publicising it? If they hadn't taken a picture then none of this fuss would have happened.
John
- Thu Jan 13 11:29:17 2005

I say leave him be. It's fancy dress, for God's sake. FANCY DRESS! They're making out like he's joined the Nazi party ffs.
Rob Lang
- Thu Jan 13 11:23:18 2005

Ich wünsche, daß Sie mir nicht mit einer Kamera folgen würden. Wie ich überhaupt erhalte zu sein selbst und einen wenig Spaß zu haben. I admin, daß das Kleiden, da ein Nazi vermutlich ein schlechter Plan war, aber er für Spaß gerecht waren. Kein Schaden bedeutete!
Prince Harry
- Thu Jan 13 11:19:36 2005

Did you all hear/read about Prince Harry dressing up as a nazi? What a furore! It's at times like this that I really value whatever money we pay in taxes to the royals - after all where else would you get such great entertainment?
John
- Thu Jan 13 10:28:39 2005

Jimmy: thanks I really like the way you worded that!
John
- Thu Jan 13 09:34:14 2005

I'll tell him you said that. lol
tom
- Thu Jan 13 09:28:40 2005

For some reason I now have an image in my head of David Brent uttering that line Tom.
John
- Thu Jan 13 09:25:39 2005

Actually, the Boss told me the good news and said "Welcome to the ship of the danmed." What have I let meyself in for?!?!
tom
- Thu Jan 13 09:23:45 2005

Thanks Rob. :->
tom
- Thu Jan 13 09:21:42 2005

Nice one John! Stick it to The Man.
tom
- Thu Jan 13 09:21:24 2005

John, congratulations and good luck to you and yours. Also, if I may be so bold, I'll make this a message wishing Mad Mumsie good health as well, after her recent operation.
Travis
- Wed Jan 12 21:26:19 2005

Nice one John ... leaving a job is always good for ya. Personally, I've never tried it without lining-up a replacement first, but I've never owned vegetarian shoes either. Good luck with it all!
Jimmy
- Wed Jan 12 18:00:11 2005

Rob: Good news about Mad Mumsie!! John: Not necessarily, it depends on your credit rating and your attitude to risk.
dsp
- Wed Jan 12 16:33:06 2005

Lox, thanks for the kind thoughts! It was a second hip replacement - not very serious but no walk in the park. Mum is made out of titanium now so she has a reason to act like it.
Rob Lang
- Wed Jan 12 16:18:17 2005

As much as I'd like to say yes, I think I'd need a lot more in the bank first for that!
John
- Wed Jan 12 16:10:59 2005

Good for you John - will you be opening a vegetarian restaurant?
dsp
- Wed Jan 12 15:57:46 2005

Wow John!! I guess you feel a lot better now! LOVELY! I actually envy you a bit to be honest...

Rob: I have been absent a bit from the message board I didn't know that Mumsie was in the hospital, I hope is nothing majorly serious... Please give her my bestest regards and get well soon wishes!
Lox
- Wed Jan 12 15:48:42 2005

Yes my manager was very nice about it all. I officially finish working here on the March 15th - which, as it happens, is my birthday. I'm going to take some time off for a bit - I have a bit of money in the bank so I won't starve. I don't have my next job lined up yet because I don't really know where I'm going to be and when... or even what I really want to do - I might give up this computers lark altogether. Me and Chie will be moving to Japan at some point this year but not exactly sure when yet - it could be as early as May, but is more likely going to be September/October time.
John
- Wed Jan 12 14:34:22 2005

Another bit of news, Mad Mumsie is coming out of hospital as I write this. Go Mum!
rob Lang
- Wed Jan 12 14:20:31 2005

Wow, big news, mate. Do you have an alternative job lined up, mate?
Rob Lang
- Wed Jan 12 14:19:55 2005

Wow John! Was it accepted?
dsp
- Wed Jan 12 14:18:24 2005

Well I've just handed in my notice, which is nice.
John
- Wed Jan 12 13:49:59 2005

No Jimmy it's a lossless post applied step on lossy JPEG files. As in, Say you have an existing archive of normal JPEG images, you can then compress that by a further 30% using this method.
John
- Wed Jan 12 13:14:38 2005

...er .... correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought lossless-JPEG already compressed by about 30%. Am I deluding myself? John? Anyone?
Jimmy
- Wed Jan 12 12:33:09 2005

I wonder what Huffman would think! Did you notice the compression times? Its definately having to think about it!
dsp
- Wed Jan 12 12:26:02 2005

That's pretty impressive Tim - but how does it work...? What I particularly liked was that the second test picture used (kinkakuji in Kyoto) is a place I've been to - and also have a photograph of... I also enjoyed his hyper-paranoid means of testing - taking the compressed file to a physically disconnected machine to decompress it.
John
- Wed Jan 12 12:19:07 2005

John: One for you here mate - Breakthrough In JPEG Compression - http://compression.ca/act/act-jpeg.html
dsp
- Wed Jan 12 12:09:01 2005

Does this mean Tom can join the club now then...?
John
- Wed Jan 12 10:10:11 2005

TOM! CONGRATULATIONS on your Commission. Welcome to the fold. Prepare to lose the abilities of map reading and drill.
Rob Lang
- Wed Jan 12 09:58:17 2005

Do you remember the time when that same great man told us about how he'd learnt the importance of fingering his organ....?
John
- Wed Jan 12 09:46:59 2005

Personally I'd always thought piracy was intrinsically evil and tantamount to devil worship, not unlike Halloween.
John
- Wed Jan 12 09:44:15 2005

Issues like piracy. BECAUSE ITS YOUR JOBS!!!!
dsp
- Wed Jan 12 09:32:33 2005

Travis, hmmm no not exactly a union - I don't think they get involved in employment disputes, or strikes or anything like that. One of the reasons they're there is to accredit degrees. So in theory if you go to university to do a computing degree they could teach you any old crap and send you on your way. However, lots of these professional organisations have a system of honours, whereby, if the university includes certain approved elements in their degree syllabus then the graduates get a degree with honours, rather than a straightforward degree. I guess this allows future employees to know that they have covered subjects which the professional body for their industry thinks are important.
John
- Wed Jan 12 09:24:50 2005

Just found an interesting site: http://www.jonathanellis.org/
dsp
- Wed Jan 12 09:17:56 2005

Congrats Tom, I salute you. Quite literally.
dsp
- Wed Jan 12 09:02:26 2005

In a way is similar to the Italian system. When you get a job you are almost automatically enrolled.. I guess that you can still say no (which is what I did as I don't like the usnions generally speaking) but it's all to do with political power and stuff like that... Well, what would you expect from a country where the Prime Ministry is a MASON!?
Lox
- Wed Jan 12 08:04:37 2005

John, sounds like a worker's union? My father belongs to the United Steel Workers of America. Some industries require that workers belong to a union in order to be hired. Sounds like fishy business to me.
Travis
- Tue Jan 11 18:28:06 2005

tom, you are a tart.
Jimmy
- Tue Jan 11 18:06:08 2005

I have been Commissioned. I am an officer and apparently a gentleman.
tom
- Tue Jan 11 17:34:15 2005

Watch it 'awkins or we'll take our Conference Bag back.
BCS Mafia
- Tue Jan 11 17:33:17 2005

I originally avoided it because I thought it sounded a bit too much like an old boys network - slap on the back, waft your school tie, do the secret handshake, I've got a second hand apron, roll up one trouser leg, yes I like antlers too, that sort of thing... This was of course completely unfounded, and if I'm found dead in a ditch tomorrow morning I doubt these comments will have had any part to play in that whole sorry affair.
John
- Tue Jan 11 17:29:47 2005

It's the British Computing Society - I think the American equivalent is called something like the ACM. I can't think of the word but most industries involving skilled professionals has one - is it professional body or something like that? I think their role is sort of to regulate working practice in that industry... errr, or something.
John
- Tue Jan 11 17:26:50 2005

BCS, eh? In the US, the only thing I can think of it meaning is Bowl Championship Series, which determines the champion of college football. I imagine you mean something else by it. I've made it a point of not belonging to stuff.
Travis
- Tue Jan 11 17:20:49 2005

Should I be saying congratulations Tom? I'm not entirely sure what for, but congratulations nonetheless.
John
- Tue Jan 11 17:06:07 2005

Should I be saying congratulations Tom? I'm not entirely sure what for, but congratulations nonetheless.
John
- Tue Jan 11 17:05:30 2005

am = can
tom
- Tue Jan 11 17:00:21 2005

Rob will spot the good bit here: I am offically put down Tom Rowan BSc MBCS RAFVR(T) ;-)
tom
- Tue Jan 11 16:49:35 2005

I am a BCS Member. Have been since 2nd Year at Uni.
tom
- Tue Jan 11 16:48:49 2005

Yes Lorenzo that would be cool - I can take you to my club!
John
- Tue Jan 11 16:48:32 2005

I might be coming to England next February (don't know when yet) any chance to meet up in London? Maybe we can have that drink together! :)
Lox
- Tue Jan 11 16:46:51 2005

I'm not sure I've quite got to that stage, but I do sort of now how you feel Lorenzo.... I need a drink!
John
- Tue Jan 11 15:50:11 2005

I see... I am affected by the same syndrome.. It's rather ugly, I completely don't give a s**t anymore about this company... :(
Lox
- Tue Jan 11 14:57:17 2005

It is an allergic response to being violently bored at work. I slip into a land of make believe.
John
- Tue Jan 11 14:44:55 2005

Can you tell me the name of the drug you are on, Johnny boy?
Lox
- Tue Jan 11 14:11:22 2005

I think Gulliver would then perform a whimsical riddle about it hathing more pockets, which would cause great merriment amongst the audience.... in the 16th century.
John
- Tue Jan 11 14:02:09 2005

I was kind of keen for her to take the one from the conference I went to in Toulouse, given that she would be taking it back to France, it seemed sort of fitting. As Shakespeare once put it:
Archibald: Hast thou not sent that conference bag back from whence it came?
Gulliver: No, verily I hath not - my mother did prefereth the BCS one. It hath more pockets.
John
- Tue Jan 11 13:57:39 2005

I certainly can't argue with that :D
Byrn
- Tue Jan 11 13:56:17 2005

I went to a BCS conference once. As is often the way at conferences I was given a free bag. Having developed something of a collection of these conference bags over the years I decided I probably should attempt to get rid of some of them. So when my Mum was visiting at Christmas I offered to give her one of these bags to put her new laptop in, she chose the BCS one I think, and apparently it fits quite nicely. She has just moved to France, which makes having a laptop (and a convenient way to carry it) very handy... so in a small and indirect way the BCS has improved my mother's life a bit, which in turn makes me happy, and there you have it, a positive thing about the BCS.
John
- Tue Jan 11 13:53:47 2005

The fact that you didn't bother joining is a contribution in itself :D. The reason I ask is that I've just heard back that I can apply and probably receive full membership without the exam. Although my degree is not accredited by them I've been working in the field long enough to qualify. But I'm not sure its worth it... I'm already a member of the IEE and working towards CEng, but then again if I'm honest being a member of the BCS would more representative of the work I do day to day....
Byrn
- Tue Jan 11 13:46:26 2005

No I never bothered joining to be honest, and therefore haven't anything to contribute really.
John
- Tue Jan 11 13:38:38 2005

Hopefully, I should be receiving a new toy tomorrow! Netgear MP101 Wireless Digital Music
dsp
- Tue Jan 11 13:14:56 2005

I'm not.
dsp
- Tue Jan 11 13:14:24 2005

Anyone here a member of the BCS? What's people's opinions of them?
Byrn
- Tue Jan 11 13:12:52 2005

John, I need a mail program. Will check out Thunderbird. Previously, I've used Pegasus Mail, but it was a bit of a pain.
Travis
- Tue Jan 11 13:11:41 2005

The couple Firefox/Thunderbird works great for me (on WinXP) and guess what, I don't have anti virus software installed (I keep only Adaware and Spybot + some registry cleaner), I uptdate only with the CRITICAL updates for Window$ and I never had a problem since I installed them. Before with IE I let you guess... Of course I believe that Firefox has issues, but I'll let DSP comment on them after all I started using it after he reccomended it to me on this very forum! :)
Lox
- Tue Jan 11 13:01:25 2005

Not to worry Lorenzo, I'll fix it at some point.... So I think it sounds like Thunderbird is a good candidate then...
John
- Tue Jan 11 11:54:28 2005

DOH! Sorry guys I didn't realize that my shoddy HTML turn the entire Messageboard bold... :(
John: I use Thunderbird at home, I have to say that beign used to Outlook it's a bit difficult to get to know the new program, but all in all it seems a nice program and it has a good anti-spam thingy too...
Lox
- Tue Jan 11 10:38:20 2005

Great! it is nice to talk to you... I miss london, and waiting for the first chance to be there - you should be sure that i will call you at that time. Please send my hello to Chie (assuming that i'm mentioning the right name for the right person) :-). Bye for now John...
issam
- Tue Jan 11 10:27:45 2005

Good to hear from you Issam! How is life back in Lebanon?
John
- Tue Jan 11 10:20:46 2005

Hi John, long time no see... How are you these days? I'm fine enjoying reading your posted messages from time to time. :-)
issam <issamwd@idamaj.net>
Lebanon, - Tue Jan 11 10:09:34 2005

I'm actually hoping firefox will bring about something of a retro movement on the web - get rid of all that flash crap. I kind of like the idea that the web is just simple text and graphics - the sort of thing that any old monkey could write a browser for in just a few rainy afternoons.
John
- Tue Jan 11 09:54:54 2005

What do all of you use for your email at home? I'd like to stop using outlook as it worries me in the same way interworm exploiter always used to.... Anyone using Thunderbird? Is it every bit as satisfying and heart warming as Firefox has been?
John
- Tue Jan 11 09:52:57 2005

Well there seems to be a great big farce of moving people about going on here at work. No doubt, as per usual, it's politically motivated.
John
- Tue Jan 11 09:32:02 2005

Yea, so long as your browser can handle that it probably could.
John
- Tue Jan 11 09:09:29 2005

Does that mean it can be turned Italic too I wonder ?
Kev
- Mon Jan 10 19:00:54 2005

I always celebrate April 17th...but then again it's my birfday
Travis
- Mon Jan 10 16:06:20 2005

Does anyone have any cutting remarks to highlight the fact that Lorenzo has turned the entire message board bold as I'm struggling to think of any.
John
- Mon Jan 10 15:50:00 2005

For the world famous "Better late than never"...
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!
Lox
- Mon Jan 10 15:42:20 2005

I think we ought to make it our business to celebrate Whice.... Like that time we had a random "April 17th day" or whatever it was.
John
- Mon Jan 10 12:32:54 2005

It was yesterday... I was in the cinema at the time though :D
Byrn
- Mon Jan 10 12:30:57 2005

Is it dark at 3pm, Byrn? ;-)
Rob Lang
- Mon Jan 10 11:56:57 2005

Whice, whice. So good they name it twice.
tom
- Mon Jan 10 11:51:24 2005

Isn't Whice the traditioal midwinter festival of it being far too bleeding dark when you wake up in the morning?
Byrn
- Mon Jan 10 11:44:45 2005

I thought Whice was an upper class only event.
Rob Lang
- Mon Jan 10 11:41:36 2005

Don't you hate how commercial Whice has become? There's a new comment on the Class article John... back to you :D Byrn
Byrn
- Mon Jan 10 10:51:15 2005

I don't know what "Whice" is. My money is on it being a long forgotten pagan festival, held in mid-January, where everyone laments having spent too much money at the winter solstice.
John
- Mon Jan 10 10:25:16 2005

So it's monday morning and I find myself eating Korean biscuits, shaped like mushrooms. Whice is nice.
John
- Mon Jan 10 10:02:40 2005

So I appear to be looking at: http://www.sausagemaking.org/
John
- Sat Jan 8 13:24:14 2005

try here for the google bar FireFox extension http://googlebar.mozdev.org/installation.html
Kev
- Sat Jan 8 13:15:42 2005

What a bizarre set of news stories Tom..!
John
- Sat Jan 8 13:14:25 2005

Not to be sniffed at?